Lots of boulders and boulderable outcroppings, very few climbers. The area is popular with hikers, and you're more likely to see them on the many established trails in the area. The rock tends towards the slabby side, so if you're looking for steep boulders head somewhere else. While there aren't a lot of developed problems there is potential for more to be added, and the area has two difficult, high-quality slab boulder problems worth making the trip for.
Getting There
Approach on Reservation Road. Follow signs to the Fire Tower. Park in the obvious lot. Hike directly up the main trail. Begin exploring...
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for The Fire Tower:
Off to the left of the fire tower trail there are a lot of boulders and interesting problems. The local Bryce Dalhaus spent quite a bit of time exploring and documenting problems in this area. The rock quality is generally not as good as the classic areas however a little cleaning would go a long way and there certainly won't be any crowds.
South Mountain has a lot of untapped rock. On the Main Fire Tower Trail, the first rock outcroppings appear about 5 mins up, followed by more rock that stretches up towards the summit. The South Ridge Trail heading north from the summit takes you through an area with short and tall walls and scattered boulders. Here you can find bouldering, trad cracks, and top rope climbs.
i haven't been out there in months, so i can't quite picture the boulder... if you're heading up the trail from the bottom, is it at the bottom of the hill on the left with 1 or 2 other boulders butting on the left of it? if so, i've never seen chalk on it
So, what's the consensus on documenting climbs in this area? I've found a few fun cracks but I'm debating if they should be left for people to discover by themselves. I'm going to assume they've been climbed before I found them.
I would say it never hurts to document them I havent climbed at The Fire Tower but I believe MP.com should have as many routes as possible, and I think other would agree. As for info about the FA's and name just mention that you dont know the FAist or if it already has a name but someone can tell you info and you will update based on their info.
ive been wondering this about other places too. i mean there is undocumented areas in boulder natural that ive climbed and i know plenty of other people have climbed too, but none of them have names or FA's (not just boulder natural). i think we need "the administrator" and all the other locals to pway to deliberate on the matter. i just dont want to post incorrect stuff up here...
By Jay Knower Administrator From: Plymouth, NH Jun 30, 2009
My general opinion is that MP should reflect the local attitude of an area. If the boulders are secret or "hush-hush" then maybe they shouldn't be documented. I want MP to be a positive force in the community. If the area isn't secret, then by all means, add it up.
Posting up routes for the Fire Tower is fair game, but many of them have been climbed by many people without ever being documented which makes it difficult to get correct information. Other areas, such as Yellow Dog and the Microwave Walls are well documented, but very few people venture out there. The only "hush-hush" area is the area being discussed on the Pway page, and that is temporary until a trail can be established and route info compiled.
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